Stocking and shoulder support



June 17, 1941. E M ELLISON 2,245,556

STOCKING AND SHOULDER SUPPORT Filed Oct. 4, 1959 I INVENTOR. Edna Mae E LLison ORNEY.

Patented June 17, 1941 Edna. Mae Ellison, Portland, Oreg., assignor of one-half toErva G. Kerrigan, Portland, Oreg.

Application October 4, 1939, Serial No. 297,903

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements to stocking and shoulder supports.

My invention is particularly adaptable for use in supporting womens stockings and for being attachable to the front end of the shoulder straps and the like, in order that womens undergarments may be held in place.

A special object of the invention is to support the top of womens stockings in place and to provide an equalizing tension upon the top of the stocking at more than one point.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support for stockings and the like that will support the stocking without unduly stressing the fiber of the stocking and one that may be attached to the stocking at four points and yet maintain the supporting structure in an equalized tension to afford greatest comfort to the wearer and a minimum stress upon the stocking.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose intended that will have a long and useful life with practical freedom from operating mechanical annoyances.

With these and incidental objects in View, the

invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. I is a side view of the supporting structure illustrating the top ends of the top member as being secured to the bottom edge of a foundation garment or like structure.

Fig. II is a fragmentary partially side View of a simplified form of the device illustrating a supporting link to which is attached the top and bottom supporting members.

Fig. III is a perspective front view of a womans foundation garment or undergarment illustrating the same upon a model illustrating my new and improved device, in position, as being attached to the bottom edge of the foundation garment and being attached to the top edge of a stocking and illustrating one of my devices as being secured to the top end of lingerie or like garment and having the front end of the shoulder strap attached thereto.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary front View of a slightly modified form of structure illustrated in Fig. I. In this view the top member is shown as being fixedly secured to the bottom end of the foundation garment.

Fig. V is a fragmentary sectional side view of the link towhich the top and bottom members are attached and illustrating a wearing member secured to the top one of the elements of' my 7 device.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

I have here shown a foundation garment l as being worn upon a model 2. My device is comprised of a stretchable top member 3. vThe stretchable top member 3 has a cross support 4 attached to the respective ends 5 and '6 of the top member 3. The cross support 4 and the top ends of the top member 3 are secured to the bottom edge I of the foundation garment l.

I provide a link, preferably of metal, with the link having spaced parallel sides 3 and 9 and having rounded ends [0 and II. The bottom stretchable member I2 is provided. The bottom member I 2 has the conventional fasteners l3 and I4 that are adjustably secured to the r spective ends of the bottom member l2.

The top member 3 is preferably made substantially shorter than the bottom member l2. The top member 3 is pulled through the central portion l5 of the link and is then secured to the cross member 4 to maintain the top member 3 in fixed position relative to that of the link. In order to prevent undue Wear upon that portion of the top member 3 that runs about the top side 8 of the link, I provide a roller IS. The roller I6 is longer than the width of the member 3. To prevent the curling of the respective edges of the roller I6, I flare the ends of the roller illustrated at I! and I8. The bottom member I2 is passed about the bottom side 9 of the link and a roller l9 similar to the roller I6 is also provided. In order to prevent undue wear of the respective members 3 and I2 even though the rollers are provided, I may provide a wearing strip 20 of suflicient length to compensate for the total movement of the bottom member l2 over the sides of the link or over the rollers.

This wearing member is preferably made of nonstretchable material. It may be made of fibrous or nonfibrous material such as canvas, leather, or rubber.

The respective sides 8 and 9 of the link are spaced apart sufficiently to permit a free move- I ment of the members over the side walls that are placed close enough together so that the respective fasteners 13 and M of the bottom member 12 may be pulled through the link, so that the assembly, once secured to the link, cannot. become removed therefrom.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a structure particularly for use upon supporting stockings that permits the wearer fastening the same at the rear with one end of the fastener I2 and then attaching the other end of the fastener to the stocking to thus permit a wider covering of the fastener of the stocking and one that permits a fastening that may be used in pairs upon the top end of the stocking to provide four supports for each stocking. This structure also is adaptable for use in slightly modified form for being used in supporting the. front end 2| of the shoulder straps thus providing a link 22 somewhat similar to the link illustrated in Figs. I and II but to which may be attached a bottom member 23 having two ends each of which are adapted for being secured to the top end of the foundation garment or to the top edge of lingerie 24.

While I have shown the wearing member 23 as being secured onto the bottom member I2, I wish it understood that I may provide a similar wearing member to both the members 3 and I2.

While-the form ofmechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

.1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a link, said link having rounded ends and parallel sides with the sides being spaced apart, a roller extending along and rotatably mounted upon each of the parallel sides and each end of each of the rollers being flared, a top member and a bottom member trained about the respective cylindrical rollers, a wearing member secured to the top and bottom members where the same engage and pass about the rollers, a cross support secured to the top member at the ends of the cross support and at the ends of the top member, and fasteners hingedly secured to the ends of the bottom member and the spacing of the sides of the link being such as to prevent the passing ofv the fasteners disposed upon the ends of the bottom member passing therebetween.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a link having parallel sides and rounded ends, a top member of stretchable material passed between the parallel sides and bearing upon one of the parallel sides of the link, the ends of the top member being secured together by a cross support, a bottom member made ofstretchable material passing between the parallel sides of the link and resting upon the bottom side of the link, a wearing member for reinforcing the top member and the bottom member where they pass over the respective sides of the link, and fasteners adjustably secured to the ends of the bottom member.

EDNA MAE ELLISON. 

